Long Nights
by jackalope21
Summary: Ahkmenrah finds something new at the British Museum.
1. Chapter 1

**Just testing. Let me know what you think and Enjoy!**

**Long Nights**

Ahkmenrah welcomed the change in scenery. He liked to travel and now that he was able to get out of his tomb made the experience of waking every night all the more enjoyable. But he missed New York. He missed the friends he'd made from Larry and Nick to the exhibits. Everything in England was so new it took a bit of getting used to.

Seeing his parents was a wonderful treat though. He was glad to see they'd survived so long and hadn't been looted of pillaged in their years beneath the ground. He was even gladder for the chance to speak with them again. They had a few questions about what had changed during their centuries beneath the ground. While he couldn't tell them everything, he could fill in a great deal.

It was during the hustle and bustle of the night life that he was able to forget. He was able to forget that despite the friends and family, he was missing something very important. He was missing someone to share it with. Seeing his parents together again only made the feeling more pronounced. What he wouldn't give to have someone he cared for that cared for him.

"Did you hear me, son?" Merenkahre asked.

Ahk jolted back into reality. He hadn't realized he'd drifted into his thoughts while he and his father were on their nightly walk.

"No, father." He answered. "Apologies."

"What troubles you, my son?" he asked.

The aged Pharaoh paused in step and turned to face his son. Ahkmenrah averted his father's eyes for a moment or two. He was embarrassed about what had forced him out of the conversation and didn't wish to relay it, but his father was once his confidant, so it would make sense he could be again.

"It's just…" he hesitated briefly. "You and mother, you seem so happy, even still."

A slow, understanding smile crossed Merenkahre's lips. He nodded.

"It is understandable." He replied. Ahkmenrah peered up through his lashes looking so much like a lost little boy. "But surely, there is someone here?"

Ahk glanced around. The museum was again filled with statues, paintings and figures moving around, talking amongst themselves and enjoying their time awake, but none of them were anything he was interested in.

When he was alive, Ahkmenrah's marriage was arranged just as his parents' had been, but he was never given the chance to follow through with the ceremony. He died before being married which meant no children and no wife to be buried alongside him.

After hesitating to find an answer, Ahkmenrah was interrupted. The moment his mouth opened, Tilly –their night guard- came into view.

"Whoa," she smiled. "It's the kings." She let out a light giggle which both of them had come to think as charming. "I thought you guys for sure'd be in the East Wing."

"And why's that Guardian?" Merenkahre asked in his typical regal tone.

Ahk sighed internally. He'd told his father multiple times that Tilly was not their guardian. She was in charge of watching over the museum, not the royal family, but he still seemed to think that because they were 'the most important displays' that naturally they were the ones she had to protect the most.

"Well, cause we got more mummies in." she said as though she was confused they didn't know. Their collective brows pulled together.

"More mummies?" Ahk asked.

"Yeah. A couple, I think."

The youngest Pharaoh looked to his father. A silent agreement passed between them and soon they set off towards the people from their homeland.

At some point Ahk had pulled ahead of his father, though why he wasn't sure. They were both curious as to who from their land had come to the museum. Was it someone they knew? Was it a great king from before their time? Perhaps more family? Whoever it was, they had to know.

Mid-journey, Shepseheret –Ahkmenrah's mother- joined them. She was just as excited as they were.

When they rounded the final corner, the three were greeted with a sign telling them everything within the newly setup –and recently abandoned- wing was on loan from the Vatican Museums. Near the rear of it were the little bits of Egyptian artifacts they had brought.

Their pace slowed a bit as they took in what had been brought. Most of it was art, moving hieroglyphs and the like, but in the very back was a sarcophagus. It was rocking violently from side to side, shaking as the one inside tried to escape. The closer they stepped, the more they could hear the muffled screams from within. It made Ahk's hair stand end. He knew he must have looked the same to the previous night guards in New York. No wonder they hadn't let him out sooner.

But, knowing what it was like to be stuck inside a coffin, Ahkmenrah wanted to release whoever was concealed within.

"Father, please." He said.

Merenkahre handed his staff to his wife and joined his son on one side of the sarcophagus. Together they shoved as hard as they could. The lid toppled to the ground with a heavy clunk.

Immediately the body within sat up and they could see why the poor individual hadn't been able to free themself. Their wrappings were still firmly securing their arms to their chest preventing them from moving. Ahk rushed forward to help.

"It's alright." He said as he began to tug and break the withered bindings. "You're safe."

But they hardly calmed and he didn't expect them to. Waking in your tomb is a jarring process. He'd been doing it every night since he was buried. It was a side effect of being buried with his tablet.

The moment their hands were free, the mummy began to tug at their face and rip away the last bits of bindings. Frantic and erratic, Ahk and his parents had no choice but to stand back. There was a real chance whoever was in the tomb would react violently.

The sound of tearing fabric filled the air and soon there was headway. Tuffs of black hair shined through the dusty cloth and with one final yank it came free. Long ebony hair spilled out. The same moment their mouth was free, the mummy spun to the side and coughed over the edge of the sarcophagus. Soon it was just heavy, panting breathing.

Calmness took over. Eventually the mummy was no longer struggling to do anything and simply breathed. Ahk –being braver than his parents- took marginal steps forward. He tentatively reached out to touch the newcomer's shoulder.

"Are you alright?" he asked calmly.

"_Where,"_ a soft voice breathed in a language all too familiar to the trio. _"Where am I?"_

"_You're in the British Museum."_ Ahkmenrah answered in his native tongue. It felt both odd and welcoming to speak again. "_What's your name?"_

The small framed newcomer ran their fingers through their hair, pulling it back and out of the way to better see those staring. Ahkmenrah felt his breath catch.

A young woman peered at him through tendrils of long black hair. She was perhaps his age and beautiful. Her face was heart-shaped, her cheeks high and lips full, but it was her eyes that held his attention. They were ice blue. While his were green –another uncommon color with his people- hers were the brightest he'd ever seen. They were the color of the sky and just as piercing.

"_Isis,_" she finally answered. _"My name is Isis."_ Her eyes fell to Ahk, the closest to her, and he felt his back shudder. _"What's a British Museum?"_


	2. Chapter 2

**Awe! You guys are flipping awesome! Let me know what you think, and enjoy!  
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**Chapter**** 2**

Isis continued to stare at Ahkmenrah, waiting for him to speak, to tell her what a museum was, and anything else that would clarify her current situation. She needed him to tell her what was happening because she didn't know and the fear that was gathering inside was almost crippling. But he had trouble finding words.

Ahk was still gawking with his mouth lax and his eyes wide. He had slipped into his own world, lost in a moment that seemed to stretch on forever. Thankfully, while he was incapable of the simplest task, his parents were more than willing to move on.

"_And I am Shepseheret, the glittering jewel of the nine kingdoms."_

His mother's commanding, but delicate voice shocked him back into reality. He felt control over his limbs slowly coming back and was grateful for it.

"_And this is our son,"_ she continued. It was clear to the elder monarchs that Ahk may not have been able to introduce himself properly so she decided to take the opportunity. "_Ahkmenrah, the Fourth King of the Four Kings."_

Isis' eyes traveled again to the young man in gold. This time he smiled kindly to her, gently bowed his head and offered his hand. Still confused, but no longer willing to remain in her sarcophagus, Isis took it and with his aid stood.

The thick wooden coffin was nearly three feet from the ground which gave her little to nothing to step on in between. Once she was standing, Ahkmenrah surprised them all by wrapping his hands around her muslin covered waist. He lifted her as much as was needed for her to step out of the sarcophagus and reach the ground safely.

"_Thank you."_ She said softly. Ahkmenrah smiled gently and nodded. She took a few steps back and turned to face the three beings glittering in gold. "_I am sorry, but I don't know who you are."_

Shock ripped through their features. They would have assumed that everyone from Egypt knew who they were.

While his parents were busy trying to come to terms with the fact that one of their own people had no idea who they were, Ahkmenrah had the wherewithal to check her display. He stepped around the sarcophagus to the front of the platform and lifted the edge of the lid out of the way so he could better read the placard.

"_Isis,"_ he read. "_Believed to have been born sometime in the mid-twenty seventh century BC, archeologists also assume the young woman was a consort of the Pharaoh Djoser. Isis was given a kingly burial with riches and treasures generally reserved for those of high standing or the royal family."_

"_Ah!" _ Merenkahre declared with a smile. He finally understood why she didn't know his name or that of his son. "_Well it is no wonder you don't recognize us. Djoser was my grandfather. _He smiled, not noticing the shock on the young woman's face. "_He must have cared for you greatly. Not many concubines receive such a wondrous sarcophagus."_

"_I am not a concubine!" _she snapped loudly. Her outburst stunned the trio, but not as much as the words being read about her. Flustered, Isis stepped around her coffin and to Ahkmenrah's side. _"Show me where these lies are written."_

He said nothing and pointed to the black plaque with gold writing. He noticed her brows pull together as she tried to read the English lettering.

"_What do those etchings mean?"_ she demanded. She was clearly angered by what the so-called scholars had decided she was. Isis turned and squared herself on the family once again and made sure she had their attention before she introduced herself properly. "_I am Isis, daughter of the Great Imhotep and Guardian of the Tomb of our god Osiris."_

No one spoke for a moment or two as they allowed her declaration to sink in. After his time, everyone in Egypt had heard of the great Imhotep. He was responsible for so many things that advanced their people. Imhotep was renowned as not only an architect, but a doctor, author and a priest.

Like with most of the prominent back then, there were rumors that he was descended from the Gods. The rumor extended to his child as well. They say that Imhotep prayed to the goddess Isis for a child. He was rewarded with a daughter who he named after the goddess and swore she would protect the Osiris' resting place as his way of thanks. Whether the legends were true or not, Imhotep sent Isis to the temple of Philae where she lived the rest of her short life dedicated to the Gods. When she died, she was given a kingly burial just like her father.

Storytelling was a trait the Egyptians cultivated through the ancient reign of the pharaohs. It was not only how they explained things, but also how they showed their respect to certain people. Besides, who's to say some of the stories weren't true? After all, Ahmenrah and his family were brought back to life on a nightly basis because his father made a deal with the moon God.

"_Now please,"_ her voice had turned soft again. When she spoke, her eyes darted around and noticed everything walking through the halls behind her. _"Will someone please explain what's happening and why I woke tied in a sarcophagus?"_

Merenkahre stepped forward. His face was solemn and when he spoke his voice reflected the emotion.

"_You died, child."_ He told her bluntly. Isis gasped softly as though the air had been taken from her. "_You were in your sarcophagus because you died over four thousand years ago."_

Her jaw was lax and her eyes began to tint pink. It looked as though she was nearing tears, which they understood. Not only was waking for the first time a jarring experience, it forced one to realize they had indeed died.

"_No…"_ she muttered. Isis began to take slow steps back and shake her head. "_No, no, no."_

She continued to move away from the three and her tomb. She wanted nothing to do with it. This was a trick of some kind.

When she had backed away nearly fifteen feet, Isis suddenly sprang into action. She spun on her heels and raced towards the exit. Her sarcophagus was nestled in the back of an alcove, a dead-end, and she had to escape. The trouble was, Isis was running straight into the thick of madness.

"_Wait!"_ Ahkmenrah called, but she didn't hear him. Without waiting for his parents, the young King followed suit. He felt a bit responsible for her. It was his tablet that brought her back after all.

Ahk's robes weighed him down, but the wrappings on Isis' feet made it nearly impossible for her to gain traction. They were equally matched in the race.

She slipped and nearly fell when she turned a corner, but gained her footing once again. Before Ahk could reach the same turn, he heard her scream. He pressed himself harder and slid just as she had. Isis had suddenly confronted the Triceratops that roamed the halls and was frozen solid.

Ahk ran towards her and put himself between the young woman cowering and the boney dinosaur. He put his hands up.

"Trixie, no." he yelled in English to the beast. The giant whimpered like a reprimanded dog. "Sit." And it did without question. Ahkmenrah nodded to the animal and turned to Isis. She was on the ground with her arms above her head to shield herself from the creature. "_It's alright."_ Apprehensively, Isis unfolded her arms and looked up to see Ahk offering his hand. "_You're safe now."_

With the same tentative move, she reached for his offered appendage. He helped her to her feet, smiling as kindly as he could to try and console her, but Isis had trouble looking away from the bleached bones of the animal she didn't recognize.

"_She only wanted to play."_ He explained.

"_What is that creature?"_ she asked in hushed tones as though anything else would cause it to charge.

"_A dinosaur."_ He replied with a light laugh. It drew her eye. _"You're safe. Nothing here will hurt you."_

"_I don't understand."_

He smiled warmly again. _"I'll help you."_


End file.
